Ryu Hayabusa's abilities, equipment and titles
Ryu Hayabusa's abilities, equipment and titles are astonishing feats controlled by the player throughout the Ninja Gaiden series, utilized and earned by the main character Ryu Hayabusa as he walks the harsh unforgiving path of the ninja. Most of his skills come from rigorous training throughout his childhood and young adult life, but he is also descended from a line of warriors known as the Dragon Lineage, giving Ryu a greater connection and understanding of philosophical and spiritual arts. Though still only human, this conditioning has allowed Ryu to push past the physical limitations of the human body, giving him the ability to defeat supernatural foes and even supreme deities. Skills & Abilities General Trained intensely from childhood in the ways of Hayabusa Ninjutsu, Ryu had to adapt to survive the harsh ninja life and live up to a birth right placed upon him. Eventually he earned the right to bear the Hayabusa clan legacy in his name and excelled as a top student amongst his peers, gaining skills and abilities that are signature of the Hayabusa Clan Ninja. *'Agility': Ryu is able to move at lightning fast speeds, leaving after images of himself when taking out enemies in a blink of an eye. His reflexes are faster than bullet time, allowing him to block bullets from multiple automatic assault rifles shooting at him from all directions. *'Strength': Ryu has above above average strength, able to lift 1 ton rubble when summoning all his strength, as well as cutting through thick tank steel and jets in half with his legendary Dragon Sword. He is also able to wield hefty weapons, with only slight moments of struggling to keep balance on long swings. For short movements, Ryu is able to move a 100 lbs sword fast enough to block bullets shooting at him from all sides with multiple automatic assault rifles. *'Stealth': A specialized ninja skill, Ryu is able to infiltrate many areas, observe undetected from afar and sneak up on enemies to perform stealth kills. *'Acrobatics': Another ninja specialized skill, this skill enables Ryu to use his ninja acrobatics to move about his environments and surroundings, reaching places that would normally be unreachable by others such as non ninja."I have brought a legendary weapon to Tairon, a weapon known only by a select few. I have hidden it in a dark alley, in a location where only a Ninja will be able to reach it. I suggest that you find it and make use of it." -Kunai Scroll, Ninja Gaiden He is also able to land in such a way that he is unharmed from drops of great heights, including heights exceeding 1000 ft. *'Heighten Senses': Honed from childhood each of Ryu's 5 senses have become highly acute, most notable are his ability to feel displacements through the air, focus his eyes to zoom into targets from afar and detect the sound of slight far off footsteps in the midst of being next to a body of running water. *'Ninja Sense': A 6th sense possessed by the ninja, allowing them to sense potential enemies and dangers around them, often guiding them in a direction towards a main objective. *'Hand to Hand': One of the world's top hand to hand combatants and master in Hayabusa style ninjutsu, Ryu has proven his skill during the second DOA tournament by defeating the Tengu of Destruction in hand to hand combat, preventing the world from being plunged further into chaos by the god like creature. *'Weapon Master': Ryu is most proficient with the katana, a Samurai skill assimilated into the Hayabusa clan and mixed with ninja acrobatics, but he has mastered many other weapons as well, quickly becoming skilled with any new weapon he picks up. Ryu often pushes his weapons to their physical limits, requiring the skill weapon smith Muramasa to upgrade these weapons so he may push their boundaries even further. *'Ki Manipulation': Through intense meditation and spiritual training Ryu has gained the ability to manipulate the laws of nature with his mind, appearing as magic to those out of tune with the universe, this ninja art is known as ninpo and techniques for them are usually found written in ancient scrolls or passed down from generation to generation. *'Regeneration': Being more in tune with the spiritual side, Ryu has developed a higher than usual spiritual life force or health. By manipulating this spiritual life, Ryu is able to regenerate from wounds that would otherwise be fatal, such as a slice through the jugular or a stab through a vital organ like the heart. Thus a higher durability and endurance than the average human, this endurance is increased further with the Life of the Gods. Once his spiritual health is depleted he would be unable to heal from wounds, however health can be replenished with the aid of elixirs, herbs, blue essences and Dragon Statues. The full extent of this ability is unknown, in the most extreme case Ryu has managed hold his body together and come back to life after being dismembered from shoulder to hip by Doku via the Dark Dragon Blade early on during the Dark Dragon Blade Incident. *'Durability': His durability is at a superhuman level. Ryu's endurance augmented with his unique regeneration ability allows Ryu to survive many hazards such as a barrage of bullets, fatal stabbings, rockets & explosives to the head, and being submerged in pools of acid & molten lava. Ryu is also able to withstand magical fireballs and flying blunt objects like large telekinetically thrown pillars. *'Spiritual Life Regeneration': After the Dark Dragon Blade Incident Ryu learned to regenerate a portion his spiritual life by concentrating to focus his energy after battles and gain some of his lost spiritual life back''Itakagi explains, "he's able to concentrate and focus his energy to regain some of his health back. But you can't get it all back."''-1up Interview with Itagaki on Ninja Gaiden 2 . Other non Ninja and non Super Ninja characters have learned this technique or a similar ability as well, such as Momiji under Ryu's tuteluge sometime during the 6 months after the Dark Dragon Blade Incident and Rachel sometime during the 1 year after the said incident. Techniques These are the many tactical skills utilized by a technical combatant such as Ryu in battles and in navigating through hazardous environments. Ryu starts off with most of these techniques, however some require the purchase of a scroll or a special event to learn. *'Wind Run Technique': Able to blindly sense where his enemies are, Ryu will quickly home in on the nearest enemy, even if out of his line of sight. *'Wind Path': Ryu uses his opponent's head as a footstool to jump off of. He adapted this move during the DOA tournament, where jumps off his opponent's head with such force that it sends his opponent face planting head first into the ground. *'Guillotine Throw': Ryu jumps over his opponent grabbing by the head against his shoulder and then does a centrifugal flip, throwing his opponent a long distance or slamming hard into a wall. It can also be initiated through the use of his Wind Run Technique. (First introduced in Ninja Gaiden Arcade (1988)) *'Double Jump': After his first jump, Ryu is able to jump again without a need for physical structures to push off of. Ryu only used this move during the Dark Dragonstones incident. *'Flying Bird Flip': While running up a wall, Ryu does a back flip jumping up further, he uses this technique to scale walls by jumping in between two walls until he reaches the top. During the DOA tornament, he adapted this move by jumping on top of his opponent and locking his feet on the head, and then back flipping his opponent. This variation is similar to the Guillotine Throw but instead of tossing his opponent, Ryu slams them into the ground while standing above them with his arms crossed. *'Water Running': Ryu's ability to run and fight on the surface of deep bodies of water, similar to a Basilisk Lizard. *'Shadowless Footsteps': Better known as wall running, it is a basic ninja technique. *'The Invisible Path': Wall running and then jumping from one wall to the other while still wall running. *'Unrivaled Soaring': Similar to the Invisible Path Technique, except Ryu wall runs around a room from corner to corner scaling a tall building's interior. *'Reverse Wind Technique': A dodging maneuver, it originally started out as a roll, but evolved into a ninja dash technique. It is now a ninja slide which Ryu can use offensively to initiate an attack. *'Furious Wind Technique': Similar to the Reverse Wind Technique, while blocking an attack that is landing, Ryu is able to quickly dodge the attack. This technique is used by Ryu when his guard is broken to dodge any further attacks. *'Counter Attack': While blocking an attack, Ryu quickly launch a counter attack, attacking when his enemy is still recoiling from the strike. *'Intercept': A special technique where Ryu intercepts an attack just it is about to land, resulting in a slight blue flash and preventing him from receiving any damage. This technique is even able to cancel damage from fireballs, flying pillars and rockets. It is also able to charge an instant Ultimate Technique if there is enough essence floating around to fuel it, making it the ultimate counter attack. (Only available in Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) with the Hurricane Pack downloaded) *'Projectile Deflection': Carefully timing a slash, Ryu is able to deflect projectiles such as arrows and fireballs back at his enemies. Like the double jump, Ryu only uses this technique during the Dark Dragonstone Incident. *'Violent Wind': While running Ryu quickly does a ninja dash and slashes his enemy at blinding speed. Ryu does a similar move during the DOA tournament, using his arm instead of a sword to slash his opponent as he dashes through them, he also does a double dash as a tag team move if his partner is Kasumi. *'Violent Gale': Multiples of the Violent Wind Technique, Ryu slashes over and over with blinding speed. *'Flying Swallow': Ryu jumps forward into the air and flies at his opponent in a lightning fast slash. *'Flock of Flying Swallows ': Multiples of the Flying Swallows Technique, Ryu attacks with lightning fast aerial slashes. The True Dragon Gleam Ultimate Technique is an advance version of this technique where Ryu launches his enemy into the air and relentlessly flies at his enemy slashing over and over. *'Izuna Drop ': A signature move of the Hayabusa clan, Ryu does this technique by launching his opponent into the air and then doing a spinning pile driver and slaming his enemy head first into the ground, creating a shockwave that damages any enemies near by. Depending on the force Ryu uses, his enemy's head may explode upon impact. Ryu has mastered this technique so well that he has adapted it to any weapon he happens to be using, creating many variations of the Izuna Drop, such as the River Styx Drop with the Eclipse Scythe and the Underworld Drop with the dual wielded Blade of the Archfiend and True Dragon Sword. (First introduced in Dead or Alive (1996)) *'Underworld Drop': A technique used by Genshin, Ryu learned it after acquiring Genshin's Blade of the Archfiend in Ninja Gaiden 2 & 3. They both does this technique by stab their enemy in mid-air and then doing a vertical spinning similar to the technique Blade of Niritti. after slamming the enemy down on the floor they hop away while remove the Blade. *'Obliteration Technique': A finishing move, Ryu finishes off a wounded enemy with a brutal but quick fatality. Though this is mainly used on wounded enemies, Ryu is also seen easily slicing enemies at full health in half with one strike, such as Werewolves. In Ninja Gaiden 3, Ryu doesn't dismember the enemy (Available in Ninja Gaiden II & Ninja Gaiden III) *'Essence Technique': A devastating attack, Ryu charges up and releases a fury of powerful attacks. The charge time can be reduced by absorbing essence into the Technique. *'Ultimate Technique': An advance form of the Essence Technique, it is more lengthy and deadlier, but requires more time or essence to charge. Depending on the weapon various forms of this technique would result. During his battle against Jaquio's forces, the ultimate technique for the Dragon Sword was the Spinning Windmill Slash which if timed correctly would kill a boss character at full heath in one hit. Ninpo Ninpo is the Spiritual and Philosophical Arts, in contrast to Ninjutsu's Martial Arts. Ninpo are Spiritual Arts that require intensive meditative focus to master, as well as secret instructions to initiate them which are usually found in ancient scrolls. Ryu has mastered many of these Ninpo Arts, and learned to perform them while on and in water after the Dark Dragon Incident. *'Art of the Fire Wheels': Ryu focuses his mind on spiritual waveforms around himself and focusing his ki energy into the waveforms, creating fire wheels that encircle him. This is mostly a defensive ninpo used as a shield in the heat of battle, but also has a very important function: entrapping large enemies in the fire wheels, resulting in constant damage to them. *'Art of Flying Fire Wheels': A variation of the firewheel art, except Ryu mentally focuses the circling flames in an upwards direction once they form. (Exclusive to the NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy) *'Art of the Flame Phoenix': This ninpo art allows Ryu to convert his ki to summon the sacred spirts of phoenixes who protect him with their holy flames. It is similar to the Art of the Fire Wheels except it lasts longer, however the length of time this ninpo is active for diminishes as the phoenix spirits take damage. *'Art of the Inferno': Focusing his mind, Ryu creates pyrokinetic flames that envelope him and then using his telekinetic ability to control these flames. Over the course of his journey, Ryu has varied this ninpo, mastering it into a deadlier form each time. Originally it was an enveloping flame Ryu focused into a fireball and blasted it into his opponent. Later on it evolved into a large ball of fire that would move where ever Ryu willed it, and hot enough burn through steel like substances. Finally Ryu perfected the art, matching the flames of a dragon's breath, in this variation Ryu would form 1-3 dragon flame like fireballs over his head, and send them slamming down on any enemy unlucky enough to get caught in the blast. *'Art of the Ice Storm': By manipulating the atmospheric conditions around him, a vertical whirlwind of ice emerges encircling Ryu, any enemy caught in this Ice Storm will be frozen in place as ice shards repeatedly pierce into them. Later Ryu improves his skill with this art to the point that he is able to launch ice shards in which ever direction his mind wills it to. Out of battle it can be used to put out fire barriers. *'Art of the Hurricane': Concentrating on manipulating the air in front of him in a spinning motion Ryu creates a twister, which leaves a path of devastation for enemies caught in the twister as Ryu guides it's movements with his mind. Outside of battles it is used to turn ancient wind turbines found in ruins. (Exclusive to Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword) *'Art of the Wind Blades': 1-3 sharp waves of vacuum are created and amplified as Ryu moves his arms at lightning fast speeds, they then radiate outwards in the directions Ryu swings his arms, slicing everything in their path. Crowds of enemies caught directly in path of these vacuum blades are cut to pieces while those on the outer edge only lose a limb or two. *'Art of Vacuum Wave': This is a variation of the Wind Blades Ninpo, which instead sends vacuum blades simultaneously in an upwards and downwards direction, even though solid objects to strike at out of reach enemies. (Exclusive to Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom) *'Art of the Inazuma': Amplifying the bio electric currents in his body, Ryu is able to quickly charge up electricity in his body, which is then instantly blasted outwards as lightning striking all enemies in the vicinity. Outside of battle this is used to destroy large boulders. Ryu gains the ninpo scroll for this ability after defeating the gigantic Inazuma worm. *'Art of Divine Life': By concentrating and focusing ki into healing energy with his mind, Ryu is able to turn ki energy into blue essences, fully restoring his spiritual health. (Exclusive to Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword) *'Art of the Piercing Void': The most destructive ninpo in Ryu's arsenal. Ryu first focuses his telekinetic energy created by centripetal vibrations in his lower dantian or ki focal point, then forms the energy using gravitational waves propagated from his conscious spirit, resulting in a rotating black hole trapped inside a semi permeable spiritual force field that keeps it stable. Because of the semi permeable nature of the force field around the black hole, time space fluctuations occur around the black hole as Ryu sends it flying off, it's gravitational pull is great enough to rip the environment around it apart and pull debris encircling into the black hole as it speeds away. Enemies caught in it's path are instantly destroyed, even piercing through multiple enemies before dissipating. Most boss enemies can survive the black hole, but suffer massive damage leaving them vulnerable to a finishing blow. Unique Ninpo & Abilities *'Time Stop': This ability was only used in Ninja Gaiden (NES), with this ability Ryu is able to temporary stop all time around him while he is able to move about freely and kill enemies frozen in time with no resistance. Due to it's intense concentration requirements, Ryu can only freeze time briefly. *'Doppelganger': Unique to Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, this is Ryu's ability to create Shadow Clones of himself that mimic his moves and aid him in battle. *'Sword Extension Wave': This is the unique ability for Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. With it every slash of Ryu's Dragon Sword is sharp and fast enough to produce cutting vacuum wave, extending the range of the Dragon Sword. *'Flying Jump': A special jump where Ryu tenses his legs slightly and then springingly jumps high up into the air, the vast distances of these jump heights range from tall buildings to partial heights of a volcano. In one instance it was high enough to battle 3 jets while free falling from high up, seemingly like a Peregrine Falcon as the name Hayabusa suggests. *'Flying Earth Platforms': Through special ninpo chants and concentration Ryu was able to summon flying platforms from the earth that moved to the will of his mind, giving him a chance against Vigoor's size advantage during the battle. Ryu's control over the earth platforms was great enough to have a second back up flying platform catch him if he were to be knocked off his current platform. This likely is likely possible through the combination of telekinesis and gravitational distortions similar to the Art of the Piercing Void. *'Blink': Seen mostly in Dead or Alive, it is Ryu's ability to teleport a short distance during a fight, sometimes leaving smoke or leaves in the wake of his blinks. Other Dead or Alive ninja characters are sometimes seen using this move as well, particularly Kasumi who leaves a trail of cherry blossom petals as she blinks, while the other ninja characters Ayane and Hayate do not teleport on the scale of Kasumi and Ryu. *'Teleport': The long distance teleport used more in travel than battle. Having used the Twin Serpent statue's teleportation portal to teleport vast distance, Ryu gain this ability teleport long distances similarly, using it at the end of the Dark Dragon Blade Incident. In Dead or Alive he is often seen teleporting into and out of battles, even teleporting with Kasumi in and out of fights when partnered with her. *'Wall Cling': Ryu's ability to cling to walls in Ninja Gaiden (NES), either using concealed teko-kagi or vander waals force given his ability to manipulate his internal bio electric currents. With this he can ascend walls by jump back and forth between two walls similar to the flying birld flip. *'Wall Climb': Upgraded wall cling allowing Ryu to climb up and down walls, he uses this in the NES Ninja Gaiden 2 and 3. *'Kunai Climb': Ryu's wall climbing ability introduced in Ninja Gaiden 3, where he scales walls using two kunai blades in each hand. *'Glide': A move from Ninja Gaiden 3 where Ryu dives down from high places usually tall buildings, it is used to ambush enemies from the air. Ryu is seen gliding through the air in many cutscenes prior. *'Heal': Ryu's ability to instantly heal dying allies by placing his hand over top of them and blasting them with healing energy for a few seconds. It is only used in co op mode for Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. *'Hayabusa Spirit': This is the guardian animal spirit that helps resurrects Ryu after he dies from being sliced in half by the Dark Dragon Blade. It's ethereal spirit form is seen merged within Ryu, it's corporal physical form can be seen after Ryu disappears into the night. Ryu sometimes drops a few of peregrine falcon feathers in his wake. Abilities in Other Media *'Art of Torn Sky Blast': Ryu is seen using this or a move similar to it in the Dead or Alive series. *'Art of Substitution': An illusionary move where Ryu substitutes a log in his place, leaving his opponent to fight the log thinking it's Ryu. Ryu used this move to toy with Hayate and test his abilities. *'Art of the Crimson Lotus': An ninpo where Ryu focuses his ki to turn dancing leaves into sacred flames that burn the wicked while leaving the innocent unscathed. Ryu uses this ninpo in Orochi Warriors 3. Equipment Melee Weapons *'Dragon Sword': Ryu Hayabusa's signature weapon, said to be created from the fang of the now extinct Dragon Deities, and containing their souls and strength. It's true strength is revealed when combined with the Eye of the Dragon, however once combined the power of this weapon is so great that it upsets the very balance of the universe. As a result the Dragon Sword and the Eye of the Dragon are kept separated and only combined during dire times. It is the only weapon to appear with Ryu in every installment of Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive and Ryu's cameo appearances. *'Lunar Staff': A staff created from a strong piece of willow treated with special wax and oils, wrapped in a layer of a Qilin tendons held on by bone glue, which is then encased in an other shell of steel, with two spiked weights on the ends made from a heavy alloy containing Iridium derived from meteorites and attached by chains. This staff is said to harbor the mystical powers of the moon and gets heavier during the full or new moon phases. *'Nunchaku': An East Asian weapon consisting of two hard blunt sticks linked together by a rope or chain. It is a useful fast weapon early on, but as better weapons emerge and stronger enemies appear, it quickly becomes obsolete. *'Vigoorian Flail': An offshoot of the European spiked mace flail from the medieval period, this weapon was created in the Vigoorian Empire, resembling two sickles attached together with flexible link. *'War Hammer': The signature weapon of Rachel's, this heavy weapon resembles a war axe halberd but is considered a hammer due to it's immense weight and lack of sharpness. The hammer is large and blunt on one end, while spiked on the other end making both sides deadly, designed to slay fiends. Ryu finds this weapon on the monastery floor after Rachel is captured by Doku, however because he does not possess the super human strength of Rachel's fiendish bloodline, he is unable to wield it as effectively and at times struggles to keep balanced with it's heavy weight. *'Dabilahro': A large 100 lbs sword used by the Elite Berserker Knights of the Vigoorian Empire. Like the war hammer Ryu sometimes struggles to stay balanced when using this weapon. *'Kitetsu': The signature weapon of Doku's, it is a cursed Japanese blade. Ryu loots this weapon from Doku's corpse after slaying the Greater Fiend, however the blade's vampire like nature required it to constantly taste blood when wielded by anyone other than it's true master Doku, as a result when inactive it would slowly sap away Ryu's life force. But in battle it had the ability to drain the life of enemies replenishing Ryu's life energy as it did with Doku when it was wielded by it's original wielder. The Kitetsu appears to be able to split into two separate swords. *'Wooden Sword': Also known as a bokken it is more of a practice tool than a weapon, this sword is the least effective of all weapons, however it has plenty of potential. Ryu buys this sword from Muramasa; this particular wooden sword is rumored to have belonged to the great Kensei or Sword Saint Miyamoto Musashi. After upgrading the wooden sword seven times, the end result is the Unlabored Flawlessness, one of the most powerful weapons. When the life bar is very low, the kanji on the Unlabored Flawlessness will start to glow and it's damage output increases significantly, at this point it is able take out bosses in a few swipes. The Unlabored Flawlessness is basically a powerful heavy paddle. The Kanji on the Unlabored Flawlessness reads "Ten I Mu Hou" when translated essentially means "Perfect Beauty with no trace of Artifice, Flawless!" *'Plasma Saber': A state of the art weapon that uses a magnetic field to contain a stream of super heated plasma that gives off a green glow. When it's oscillator is tuned to the maximum it becomes more powerful resulting in the Plasma Saber Mk II. However, it is but an alternate skin for the Dragon Sword, sharing the same moves list, range and damage with the only difference being cosmetic. *'Dark Dragon Blade': An evil blade said be carved from the bone of the Dark Dragon, and containing its dark essence as well, the blade becomes stronger with every kill, once unsealed it can turn its wielder into the Devil Incarnate. This weapon's unsealed power can only be matched by the True Dragon Sword and is considered indestructible against anything else. Since according to canon the blade is destroyed by Ryu once retrieved, it is never canonically used by Ryu, but rather is a secret bonus weapon. *'Dragon's Claw and Tiger's Fang': These are specialized twin katana swords, designed with light weight close to the hand guards so they may be dual wielded without too much difficulty. They were first introduced in Ninja Gaiden Sigma. *'Falcon's Talons': Making a martial artist even deadlier, these large steel claw gauntlets on the hands and feet transform Ryu's strikes and kicks into lethal slices and impalements. The Falcon's Talon's design is based on the Hayabusa or Falcon as it's name suggest, embodying the Peregrine Falcon's deadly talons. These are deadlier combat claws compared to the smaller teko-kagi or ninja claws which were mostly used for scaling walls and trees. *'Tonfa': Tonfa are stick like weapons which nightsticks are base on. It originates from the Ryukyu martial arts of Okinawa, along with nunchakus and karate which means empty hand, during a time when weapons such as swords were outlawed under Japanese rule. The specialized Tonfa used by Ryu Hayabusa however are heavier, with high density, super hard tungsten carbide plating, giving them immense pulverizing damage, at the expense of being difficult to wield. *'Kusari-Gama': The kusari-gama is an iconic weapons of the ninja said to be invented out of farm tools by the ninja when the laws stated that only the Samurai class were allowed to carry weapons. It consists of a sickle attached to long chain, attached to a weight on the other end. This specialized Kusari-Gama used by Ryu Hayabusa was crafted by Shishido Tessai, unique from the average kusari-gama as it pushed the absolute usable limit of this weapon with a longer chain and heavier weight, making this already difficult to wield weapon even more unpredictable and difficult to wield. *'Eclipse Scythe': This is Volf's signature weapon; as the name suggests, it's design was based on the phenomenon of the Solar Eclipse. It is made from Damascus Steel and the body of an overthrown Lycanthrope king, once shaped it was cooled by plunging it into the bodies of live humans, this gruesome process is said have taken 9 full days to completely cool and harden. Unlike other weapons made from Damascus steel the Eclipse Scythe lacks the grain pattern typical of Damascus steel when Ryu first finds it (though the scythe acquires the pattern later). Ryu adds this weapon to his arsenal after slaying Volf and looting from the greater fiend's corpse as vengeful werewolves rush in. *'Enma's Fang': A large sword with an unsettling nature; its crystalline matrix becomes harder when blood is spilled on it. It laid dormant for a long period of time until it's rediscovery when it was named Enma's Fang after Enma, the ruler and judge of the afterlife realm. *'Blade of the Archfiend': A blade of unknown origin rumored to be forged from a meteorite that the Archfiend breathed on, with incomprehensible divine runes across the blade. It is powerful enough to match even the Dragon Sword. This is a favorite weapon of Genshin, passed down from generation to generation in the Black Spider Clan, only to the most ruthless and powerful of the Black Spider clan. It is eventually given to Ryu by a dying Genshin out of mutual respect. Ryu dual wields the Blade of the Archfiend with the True Dragon Sword combining their immeasurable ancient power to form the ultimate weapon. Ryu used the Blade as his final weapon in Ninja Gaiden 3. It was eventually destroyed by The Goddess. *'Jinran-Maru': The katana of Ryu's friend Hayate. He sent Ayane to borrow Ryu, the sword he uses it in Ninja Gaiden 3 when the Dragon Sword is in his arm. Ryu soon returned to the Hayabusa Village to get the Blade of the Archfiend. Projectile Weapons *'Shuriken': The iconic throwing star of the ninja, this weapon is mostly used by Ryu to quickly stun enemies leaving them open to more lethal attacks. It has appeared in every installment of Ninja Gaiden. *'Incendiary Shuriken': These are kunai style shuriken with grenade like explosives attached to them. The pin on the grenades part is pulled and then it is thrown, after a certain time frame this shuriken explodes. It is effective on large slow enemies and bosses. *'Windmill Shuriken': A large foldable shuriken that acts similar to a boomerang returning to it's thrower, it is folded attached to a holder on the forearm when not in use. This unique weapon of the Hayabusa clan is pass down the generations within the clan. It makes the 3rd most appearances in the the Ninja Gaiden series after the Shuriken and the Dragon Sword. *'Bow': A basic bow found in the Hayabusa village, used launch arrows. *'Strong Bow': A composite Bow made during the Medieval period in the Vigoorian Empire, it is more powerful than the bow but cannot be pulled by a human of average strength. **'Arrow': A basic arrow with a pointed arrowhead used for piercing targets. **'Explosive Arrow': A specialized arrow with an explosive tip that explodes upon impact. **'APFSDS Core Arrow': A specialized arrow made from heavy tungsten material giving it good penetrating ability, able to penetrate thick armor such as tanks. *'Fiend's Bane Bow': This state of the art composite bow was developed in the Hayabusa village, made from high tensile carbon fibers, it is able to rival the modern sniper rifles in accuracy as well as penetrate 40mm bullet proof armor plating. **'Two-Pronged Arrow': A Japanese style arrow preferred by certain ninja, it is designed to tear flesh rather then penetrate. *'Spear Gun': A weapon used to hunt fish and other aquatic creatures, acts similar to a hunting rifle on land. As a result it has a long cool down between burst, no defensive capabilities and is seldom used by Ryu on land. *'Gatling Spear Gun': An out of place artifact crafted in 10th century Europe. It uses hydraulics to launch exploding spears in rapid successions. Due to this design it is useless on dry land. *'Howling Cannon': A heavy cannon that fires slow but powerful flaming projectiles. *'Lock-On Bow': A special bow provided by Cliff that locks on to a target. The bow was eventually destroyed by Cliff. Tools *'Smoke Bomb': Not so much a weapon but a distraction tool used by the ninja to throw off enemies. Enemies with high sensory perception are immune to smoke bombs. *'Grappling Hook': Used in Ninja Gaiden Shadow before Ryu gained the ability to cling to walls, it is also used in his Dead or Alive 4 ending. Armlets & Attribute Items Armlets were used in Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) to increase certain attributes, however as of Ninja Gaiden 2 Ryu has more or less mastered all of these attributes and abilities and no longer requires the use of armlets or attribute items from Ninja Gaiden 1.[http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=289621 "Armlets are discontinued. Ryu pretty much has all armlets on at the same time now."] -Team Ninja Freaks, Xbox 360 Famistu Magazine, loosely translated by XNinjaRed *'Armlet of the Sun': An orange armlet engraved with a picture of the Sun, when equipped increases Ryu's attack power. *'Armlet of the Moon': An aqua armlet engraved with a picture of the Moon, when equipped increases Ryu's defenseive abilities. *'Armlet of Potency': A gray armlet emblazoned with the picture of a Horse, when equipped it increases the strength of Ryu's melee attacks such as kicks and throws. *'Armlet of Benediction': A yellow armlet emblazoned with the figure of a Goddess, when equipped it increases Yellow Essence absorption. *'Armlet of Fortune': A red armlet emblazoned with the figures of two Elephants, when equipped it increases the chance of Red Essence appearing and absorption. *'Armlet of Tranquility': A blue armlet engraved with the figure of an Angel, when equipped Ryu gradually regenerates his spiritual life. *'Armlet of Celerity': A green armlet engraved with the figure of a Dragon, when equipped it decreases the time needed to charge an Ultimate Technique. *'Owl's Eye': A charm made in the shape of an owl. With it Ryu is able to see even in pitch black darkness. *'Oxygen Cylinder': A tank filled with compressed oxygen gas, it allows Ryu to stay underwater without holding his breath. Costumes *'Legendary Black Falcon': This is Ryu's main costume and a modern incarnation of the traditional ninja costume, though details change slightly from game to game it remains fairly consistant. The black costume consists of an aerodynamic sleevless leather suit, ninja tabi boots, shin gaurds, forearm guards, fingerless gloves, ninja mask/hood, scarf or muffler and a head crest. Notable is the silver head crest which changed from a Dragon design in Ninja Gaiden to a Falcon design in Ninja Gaiden 2 and the 3 kunai shuriken attached to the left thigh are have never been used since donning the Legendary Black Falcon. *'Classic Ryuken': Ryu's original main costume from the NES trilogy, it is similar to the traditional ninja costume eccept sleeveless. It consists of a blue ninja suit, black/blue tabi boots, black scarf, blue ninja mask/hood, black fingerless gloves and red forearm bands. *'Traditional Hayabusa Clan': A traditional purple ninja gi that covers from head to toe leaving only the eye area exposed. It is the standard Hayabusa clan uniform and the costume Ryu starts out with in Ninja Gaiden (Xbox). *'Fiend': Ryu took this form after Doku cursed him into a fiend, only appears in chapter 15 in NG1, NGB (18 in NGS). It look exactly like the Legendary Black Falcon, except that Ryu's skin is blue and his eyes are red. *'Ninja of the Future': A white and black costume futuristic in style, gives off a golden after image instead of a blue one, originally the default weapon for this costume was the green Plasma Saber instead of the Dragon Sword. *'Dark Dragon Skin': This is the red and black costume covering completely from head to toe, it's bone details on the head resembling Ashtar as a homage to the classic NES boss. Doppelganger Fiends usually take on the appearance of this costume. *'Red Muffler': As the name suggest this costume has a crimson red muffler or scarf. It is a homage to Hotsuma of the Shinobi franchise. Doppelganger Fiends also take on the form of this costume. This costume gives off a pink after image instead of a blue one. *'DOA Throwback': Ryu's Dead or Alive costume, it is somewhat of a cross between a traditional ninja gi and Ryu's current Legendary Black Falcon, except decorated in gold and without a hood piece, exposing his hair. *'Dark Blood': A variation of the Legendary Black Falcon, except blood red and gold instead of black and silver. *'Type 20': A military camouflage variation of the Legendary Black Falcon. *'Black Jaguar': Another variation of the Legendary Black Falcon, with jaguar spots. *'Tribal Spirit': A sleek gold variation of the Legendary Black Falcon. *'Biometal': A cyborg ninja costume that resembles the cyborg ninja of the Metal Gear franchise and Guyver. *'Shadow Walker': This costume is a hybrid of the Ninja and Samurai costume, including samurai fangs on the head piece. *'Fiend Hayabusa': Resembling a Falcon demon, this costume gives Ryu the appearance of a fiend. *'White Prologue Costume': This is white ninja costume similar to what Ryu's father Jô Hayabusa wears in the Vampire War prologue, resembling Jô Musashi the original star of the Shinobi franchise. *'Choun Shiryu': This shining armor costume is a homage to Zhao Yun from Dynasty Warriors 6. *'Hayabusa Powered Assualt Armor': An armor in Halo 3. Although the armor is named after Ryu, he doen't wore the armor. The helmet is the exact same copy as the ninja of the future costume; its shoulder plates are in a sode shape. *'The Grip of Murder': Ryu's newest and latest default costume in Ninja Gaiden 3. It's the Legendary Black Falcon with different texture, the right gauntlet is missing, as his right arm is infected by the Grip of Murder. This is also his bonus costume in Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus. Titles Dragon Ninja These are a line of warriors said to have ties to the extinct Dragon Deities of ancient times, for eons the Dragon Deities fought other Deities before their eventual eradication, passing on their remaining strength to a bloodline of human warriors in a form of a fang as they died. This bloodline is known as the Dragon Linage, the ancestors of Ryu Hayabusa and the Dragon Ninja. During an age of myth when the human race was ruled by pantheons of Deities throughout the ancient world, Ryu's ancestors waged wars and sealed these Deities away and their demonic fiend race, liberating the human race. As the only current descendants of these warriors, Ryu and his father are the only living Dragon Ninja, a title of inheritance which Ryu is at the last end of the line until he produces an heir. This is why many characters such as Genshin and Zedonius refer to Ryu Hayabusa as the last Dragon Ninja. Master Ninja Through intensive training during his early life, Ryu quickly rose through the ranks of his clan distinguishing himself as one of the top ninjas of the Hayabusa clan. His master skills in all the ninja arts of stealth, combat and the mystical has earned him the title Master Ninja. A title that extends even to other Ninja clans, with Mugen Tenshin ninja Kasumi and Ayane addressing him as Master Ryu. Ryu and his father Joe Hayabusa are the only surviving Master Ninjas of the Hayabusa clan after their clan was massacred during the Dark Dragon Blade Incident. Unlike Dragon Ninja, this title is not inherited, but earned, as such many other Master Ninja exist, such as Genshin of the Black Spider Clan, Murai of the Shadow Ninja Clan and Hayate of the Mugen Tenshin Ninja Clan. Modern Day Ninja The Hayabusa Clan have adapted throughout the times into the modern day. Where the majority of the Ninja clans only used traditional ninja skills such as stealth and agility, the Hayabusa clan has incorporated Samurai swordsmanship into their clan, creating deadly agile stealth warrior who were just as skilled in katana duels as the Samurai. Over the centuries many non Japanese styles would emerge such as the Okinawa martial arts which used tonfas and nunchakus and be adopted by the clan, all the way to the modern era. This modern version of the Hayabusa clan has adapted their weapons with the time, such as bows that match accuracy of modern sniper rifles while still retaining the stealth of a bow, and grenade style shurikens that operate similar to grenade. Producing ninja that are able to operate in the modern world, with Ryu Hayabusa as their deadliest modern day ninja. The term "Modern Day Ninja" was first coined up during the Dead or Alive tournaments as DOATEC categorized their fighters, during which Ryu Hayabusa infiltrated many times to assist the fighters, where as the more traditional Mugen Tenshin ninja Hayate, Kasumi and Genra fell prey to DOATEC's capture and experiments. This title was later combined with Super Ninja during the 3rd tournament, listing him as the Modern Day Super Ninja. Super Ninja It is not know who first uttered the phrase, but tales of Ryu's extraordinary exploits and abilities are well known, as such he has been categorized and known by people as a "Super Ninja". The abilities of the Super Ninja are proven time and time again as Ryu slays hordes of deadly supernatural beings and destroys armies armed with weapons of the modern era, such as the fighter jets of DOATEC. The only other Ninja to earn the title Super Ninja was Genshin''"Another Super Ninja will stand in Ryu Hayabusa's way this time around. I don't mean the Ryu look-alike "doppelganger," either. This is a proud man that leads the militant faction of the black Spider Clan, and his name is Genshin. The fight with the Genshin will make you remember once again what it is that a man must protect, even at the cost of his own life." -Itagaki, Gamer Informer Magazine, issue March 2008 , but the harsh path of the Ninja and generations of clan rivalries resulted in a clash between the two Super Ninja, leaving only one standing. In the end the two Super Ninja gained a mutual respect for each other, knowing each did what they had to do. Currently Ryu is the only known living Super Ninja, thus his current title "The Singular Super Ninja". See also *'Ryu Hayabusa' *'Biography of Ryu Hayabusa''' References: Category:Content